JEDBURGH'S Greig Laidlaw has retained captaincy of Scotland ahead of the RBS 6 Nations Championship.

Head Coach Vern Cotter named his 37-man squad this morning.

Kelso's Ross Ford and Stuart Hogg of Hawick are both included with former Selkirk centre Alex Dunbar and Melrose winger Damien Hoyland also listed.

Cotter said: “It’s a well-balanced and exciting group that have played a lot of rugby together, know each other well and are ambitious to do well in a Scotland jersey.

“I think if we get our mind-set right we can be competitive and push for wins in every game in this campaign.

“When you look down the list of names from Greig Laidlaw as captain, a solid locking group that’s been together for a while, a familiar group of loose forwards who have played consistently well for their clubs, with John Hardie expected to return to fitness shortly.

“The backline gives us a little versatility with Huw Jones able to play several positions, as can Duncan Taylor, Duncan Weir returns alongside Finn [Russell] who’ll be working to run games, with settled back-three options available to us once again.”

In the pack the squad has a very familiar feel, with hookers Fraser Brown (Glasgow Warriors), Ford and Stuart McInally (both Edinburgh Rugby) named for the third campaign in succession.

In the backs, captain Laidlaw (Gloucester), Ali Price and Henry Pyrgos (both Glasgow Warriors) have all been reselected, while Edinburgh Rugby stand-off Duncan Weir joins Glasgow Warriors’ Finn Russell as the stand-off options.

Matt Scott is the only addition named to the centres although, while named, injury prevented Saracens’ Duncan Taylor from featuring in the autumn.

The back-three group of Hogg (Glasgow Warriors), Hoyland (Edinburgh Rugby), Sean Maitland (Saracens), Tommy Seymour (Glasgow Warriors) and Tim Visser (Harlequins) is unchanged.

Cotter added: “We now prepare to enter the RBS 6 Nations and face our first opposition, Ireland, at home next month who are now ranked highly in the world, and deservedly so, after wins over New Zealand, Australia and South Africa, so it’s a tough start.

“I think the addition of bonus-points will probably open up the games a little more and I think that’s a good thing. I think we’ll see a little more play and perhaps a few more risks in the game, which is exciting.”

The squad will convene in Edinburgh on Monday for a three-day camp at Oriam – Scotland’s sports performance centre – ahead of the national team’s opener against Ireland at BT Murrayfield in just over a fortnight’s time..

FORWARDS

Alex Allan (Glasgow Warriors)

Simon Berghan (Edinburgh Rugby)

Allan Dell (Edinburgh Rugby)

Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors)

Willem Nel (Edinburgh Rugby)

Gordon Reid (Glasgow Warriors)

Jon Welsh (Newcastle Falcons)

Fraser Brown (Glasgow Warriors)

Ross Ford (Edinburgh Rugby)

Stuart McInally (Edinburgh Rugby)

Jonny Gray (Glasgow Warriors)

Richie Gray (Toulouse)

Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh Rugby)

Tim Swinson (Glasgow Warriors)

Ben Toolis (Edinburgh Rugby)

John Barclay (Scarlets)

Cornell Du Preez (Edinburgh Rugby)

John Hardie (Edinburgh Rugby)

Rob Harley (Glasgow Warriors)

Josh Strauss (Glasgow Warriors)

Hamish Watson (Edinburgh Rugby)

Ryan Wilson (Glasgow Warriors)

BACKS

Greig Laidlaw CAPTAIN (Gloucester)

Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors)

Henry Pyrgos (Glasgow Warriors)

Finn Russell (Glasgow Warriors)

Duncan Weir (Edinburgh Rugby)

Mark Bennett (Glasgow Warriors)

Alex Dunbar (Glasgow Warriors)

Huw Jones (Stormers)

Matt Scott (Gloucester)

Duncan Taylor (Saracens)

Stuart Hogg (Glasgow Warriors)

Damien Hoyland (Edinburgh Rugby)

Sean Maitland (Saracens)

Tommy Seymour (Glasgow Warriors)

Tim Visser (Harlequins)